They look great. When I make these types of chunky, rustic cookie I leave out most (or all) of the sugar and just sprinkle a few grains of raw sugar ("coffee sugar" the really big granuals) over the top before baking. It gives a lovely crunchy texture and the sweetness goes further, so you can get away with only using a tiny amount.

where can you get syrup made with fenugreek? I would think you could use molasses too and it's high in iron. you probably wouldn't need as much as you would sugar. maybe cut the amount to 1/2 or a 1/4 of what the recipe calls for sugar.

Cate - all brown sugar is is white sugar with molasses added. Just mix a little unsulphured molasses with your sugar to get the consistency of brown sugar. :)

I made these with oats and flour soaked in buttermilk. I added some coconut, cinnamon and cloves. I went over board with the cloves. I used silvered almonds instead of walnuts. They are yummy!! I am hoping have all the ingredients to try this recipe the way it was posted next time :)

Dannielle - Maple syrup is made from the sap of maple trees, and nothing else. What you are describing is fenugreek-flavored imitation maple syrup. The real stuff is better. (Drink your fenugreek as tea, or make curries with it).

I would try Rapadura or Sucanut. Rapadura is sugar before its completely adulterated -- basically dehydrated cane juice. There is such a thing as palm sugar but I haven't tried it but its supposed to be quite good for you too.

I loved these cookies!!! I made them a couple of weeks ago and when I finished eating that batch I tried another recipe I found online - these were definitely my favourite. And hubby agrees too.I'm pretty sure that they helped to boost my supply (mind you, I did it a lot of them!!!), so will be making another batch of them this weekend.Did find that the extra fibre turned myself and bubba into farty-bums, lol.Will use this as my basic recipe, but excited to try adding other things to it.

I was wondering aprox how many cookies does one batch make? I need to figure the nutritional info for my husband before I can make them. They sound fantastic! The added bonus would be more milk for me (well for the little boob man).

Since it has almonds, I'd like to add, that if your child has eczema or if your family has a history of eczema/asthma/food allergies, then staying away from nuts like almond until the baby's immune system is stronger, is a good idea. THis'...s the consensus immunologists seem to be coming to. If there's a high risk for food allergies, then avoid the most common allergenic foods for the 1st 3 years of the baby's life, so the immune system has a chance to mature first. The common allergens most important to avoid are egg, peanut, treenuts,shell fish...For details, look at www.foodallergy.org

So, in my opinion, almond butter in this recipe is not a great idea for a breastfeeding mother. The almond protein will make it into the milk, and challenge the baby's immune system and the baby could possibly become permanently allergic to it. I am talking about high risk babies here, such as ones with eczema (which's about a 3rd of babies nowadays). --Deepa

As of 2012, the latest studies suggest that waiting to introduce allergens until later in life makes us MORE susceptible to the allergy and earlier moderate exposure has been found to reduce allergies. Parents that followed the advice to wait to give children peanut butter (as they were advised by doctors, it made sense with what we knew then) actually created more problems and more kids allergic to peanuts. The older a child is, the more "set" his/her immune system becomes, so eaarly exposure gives the body a chance to say "hey, what's this? Oh, its not bad don't attack." If the body has a first time exposure at an older age, the anser sometimes is "I've never seen this before, it must be bad, attack!" Of coarse there will be people with allergies no matter what route the parents take, so I hope this helps!

Brown sugar can be unrefined sugar (read the label and check for unrefined). All brown sugar is not white with molasses added. Sugar, honey, maple, etc are all sugars. There is no one 'healthier', except if they are heavily refined. Anything unrefined in moderation is fine for most folk. Mashed banana would work well, or grated apple, or some pureed raisins.

Dorothy ~ it depends on the size you are making the dough balls, but when we made them for these photos (you can see the size they are above in relation to my son's hand, and on the tray) we had 32 cookies total.

RE: eczema (I believe there is much to be learned, and a great deal the general population does not know about, and that nursing mothers are not easily able to access reliable information to).

The #1 culprit for baby/child eczema is cow's milk, or cow's milk products (including formula or mother's milk when she consumes cow's milk). Very often we see eczema disappear when cow's milk is removed from the diet (when babies are consuming human milk and cow's milk is not in the diet of a nursing mother).

Typically, cow's milk can be comfortably added back into the nursing mother's diet (if a mother desires it) after the baby's gut has closed around the 8th month.

This recipe calls for 3/4 c. peanut or almond *butter* which is unlikely to impact a nursing baby when baked into cookies in this small among and baby is exclusively breastfeeding or over the age of 8 months.

Nuts are an irritant in some nursing babies' diet (i.e. in formula produced from soy nuts, or through mother's milk when she consumes nuts/soy) so if this is the case - if baby is young (7 months or less), you can leave the 1 c. chopped nuts of your choice out completely or switch them for seeds (sunflower seeds for example), if you find it increases gassiness or irritation for baby.

Again, 1 c. chopped nuts baked and dispersed into 32 cookies eaten over the course of many days is highly unlikely to cause issues in a breastfeeding baby. The problems with nuts come more often when mother is eating nuts by the handful on a daily basis (and even then, it is for SOME - not all - babies) or when baby consumes a nut-based formula (most formulas are made from either cow's milk or soy).

The research suggesting nuts consumed while mother is pregnant or nursing leads to latter allergens is inconclusive, there is just as much valid research that demonstrates the opposite, and I have yet to be convinced that it isn't rather something else that brings rise to these allergies/eczema: The first being non-breastmilk items started too soon (before the 8th month when the gut has closed); supplementation with cow's milk/soy formulas; or cow's milk in a baby's diet at all (even post 12-months).

That being said, if you know your family has a history of eczema/allergies/asthma, it would be helpful to do an elimination diet to rule out which items are causing these issues for YOU (starting with cow's milk, wheat, nuts) and going from there.

For baby, I'd plan for certain to *exclusively* provide human milk for at least the first 8 months of life (without cow's milk in mother's diet), to adhere to "baby-led weaning" (baby led starting of solids - no spoon feeding *mush*), and continue non-exclusive nursing for a normal duration of time (several years) without adding in cow's milk to the diet (and possibly wheat or nuts depending on what your own elimination diet found) until you see that your baby does not suffer from the same.

An excellent book, written for the general population (i.e. not a scholarly journal, but one which synthesizes a lot of the research on this subject for breastfeeding moms/new babies), is "The Baby Bond":

I made a batch of these last night and ended up with around 45 cookies and a bunch of chocolate chips left over in the mixing bowl lol. They're delicious and honestly seemed to work almost instantly for me. Even my husband thought they were good. I'm taking some to my sister who is also nursing and am going to pass along the recipe ^_^ Thanks for sharing!

I got the link to your receipe from Uniquely Normal Mom.. So thank you to both of you! I made them last night and they are really good! I used white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts, super yummy and seems to have helped.. Thanks so much for posting and thanks to UNM for re-posting.. = ) (made about 28 - 2 1/2in cookies)

just wanted to thank you for posting this recipe! i've been making the cookies and munching on 2-3 per day (2.5inch diam). I couldn't get the brewers yeast so i omitted that and swapped dark agave for the sugar and no nuts but i have to tell you - i am *busting* at the seams. The flax and the oatmeal works like a charm!

Fenugreek is commonly used in artificial maple syrup for its color and taste. It surprisingly has a very similar taste to that of maple syrup. Many major artificial maple syrup manufactures use fenugreek because it is very affordable and tasty when mixed with the appropriate amount of sugar. The color it creates is yellowish-brown, so it is perfect for making imitation maple syrup.

My sister made me a batch of these vegan-style because my baby is allergic to milk protein. I thought they wouldn't taste quite right but they were still delicious! She added raisons and vegan chocolate.

I am making these cookies and I wanted to put the fenugreek powder (from the capsules) in it. I already took it out of the capsules, but I am not quite sure how to combine it. Should i just put it in and increase the butter?

@Anonymous Jan 10, 2012 12:31 PM - Almond butter is the best choice because it contains lots of good, naturally-occurring calcium. Peanut butter or Nutella would basically be a substitution for taste purposes only. Also, consider the fact that, besides a small amount of caffeine, chocolate also contains theobromine, which can act like caffeine in both the mother's and baby's systems. Some moms and babes are more sensitive to stimulants like this than others, so you might want to find out the individual tolerances of the people for whom you're cooking.

no. almond milk is a good sub for cow milk, but if you can not find almond butter you can sub peanut butter or you can get almonds and blend them in your blender until they are paste like. The consistency is much like peanut butter.

These were wonderful! I made them like the recipe posted except added less sugar as that is my preference and added more brewers yeast. I believe they worked too because I was getting engorged over the couple days I was eating them and never realized until I stopped eating them that my supply went back to normal. Going to make more to find out!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe!

I made these cookies for the year that I breastfed my baby, I am now a labour doula and make these for clients, and friends. They helped me through the crazy growth spurts that my son had. increased my supply like crazy so that i never felt like I was running low. I have linked my blog back to you with the recipe. hope that is o.k. www.radiantbeginnings.net

I am by no means a chef/cook/baker, so I have nothing to contribute in terms of what you can substitute, etc, but for those asking if you have to use the brewer's yeast or if the brewer's yeast is beneficial for lactation, yes, it definitely IS a galacta whatever that word is. You can order it from Amazon or you should be able to find it at GNC. I have used the BY in the past mixed in with peanut butter on a bagel to boost my supply, and it did make a noticeable difference for me. Just two cents thrown in from a momma who has had to fight for every drop of supply for all 3 kiddos.

Question: I'm not due for a couple of weeks yet and was wondering if it's ok to freeze the dough? I was worried the freezing temp might harm the yeast in the dough and inactivate it or something. Any thoughts?

I don't know about brewers yeast, but for bread yeast you are suppost to keep it in the fridge or freezer so it stays good. In this recipe the yeast is for lactation benefits (it has tons of B vitamins) so if it is inactivated by the freezing it would be ok since it will be inactivated by cooking anyway. HTHs!

I saw an increase immediately. My daughter is only 3 weeks, but I'm pumping in addition to nursing. I went from pumping about 4 ounces a day to at least 8 to 10. I'm having to pump more frequently, too, because I've been engorged between nursing/pumping sessions.

I made these a while back for myself, my La Leche League, and my cousin. I am gluten sensitive and have successfully made these gluten free by subbing a GF flour mix with xanthan gum, and GF oats. Adding another 1/2 cup butter makes them not so dry. They are delicious, and not too sweet either (a big plus because they are so addicting!).

I made these tonight for the first time and followed the recipe exactly except omitted the brewer's yeast which I didn't have. My husband and I are eating them now and find them to have an EXTREMELY strong taste of flax seed! Overpowers the cookie. We used 1 cup as the recipe states but I noticed that in other lactation cookie recipes online they call for a lot less flax seed than a cup. Did anyone else think these tasted very flax seedy?!?! No one seems to mention this and I'm surprised!

The cookies need brewer's yeast to bake correctly (and have the galactogogue properties) and the flax must be *milled* flax - not whole flax or seed processed in any other way. Milled flax is the only type that works best. Hope this helps the next go-around. :)

These cookies have been doing GREAT for my supply for the last two months. I eat half a cookie 2-3x/day usually and keep the extras in the freezer, wrapped in saran wrap and sealed in a bag. They saved me with the stress and schedule of being back at work and not seeing my baby for hours every day. I was taking Fenugreek caps 3x/day before, which worked okay, but these work better for me.

I just opened the recipe again today to make a second batch.Highly recommend!!!There were lots of leftover choc chips in the bowl after I divided out the cookies, but I mashed them into the top of the cookies before baking. I think I'll try a little bit less choc chips this time to stir in and just add at the end if there's room.I did go ahead and grind whole flax seed in my coffee grinder and it worked fine. I think I got flax seed in the bulk aisle of my coop so not 100% sure if they were milled but I think so...Also found brewer's yeast in the supplement section at my coop.

I found it a Hyvee (a grocery store in the midwest) so I imagine they would have it at most grocery store, you just have to ask. Or health food stores should have it. I know they are safe during pregnancy but I am not sure they would help the milk come sooner if you eat them while pregnant but it should definitely help if you eat them immediately postpartum.

I just made these and they're delicious! I'm not crazy about chocolate, so I only put in 1c chocolate chips, and I love them! I might try raisins next time as some have suggested because I adore them. Next time I'll also try using maple syrup with fenugreek or just emptying a couple of capsules into the dough. Yum!!

For those looking for brewers' yeast, MOM's has it - but it is in the skin care aisle, not the baking or bread aisle!

How many of these should I eat per day? Is 2-3 a reasonable number?

I did something a little sneaky - told DH there's breast milk in the cookies and if he eats them, he'll start lactating. Now they're all mine! :-P

I've tried another recipe and this one is waaay better. I used whole wheat pastry flour, used coconut oil instead of butter, splenda instead of regular sugar, and added chia seeds. I only put 1 c. of chocolate chips. Could use just a bit more oats.

Can anyone tell me if it's okay to use quick oats? Got everything else at the store, EVEN BREWERS YEAST (super hard to find in my area...) and I forgot the dang oats!! The quick oats is all I have.... Wanting to make these today!! Thanks!

For me the recipe turned out too stiff. It was too heavy with dry ingredients & impossible to mix it all so I had to add more oil (used coconut oil in lieu of butter), water, & agave (which I used in place of the white sugar). Next time may try applesauce in place of the brown sugar. It helps add a bit of moisture. I also used white chocolate chips instead of chocolate. Next time I'll use raisins or cranberries for a healthier option.

I was hesitant to try these because of this comment, but I followed the directions pretty much to a T and they were a-m-a-zing! Not at all stiff and super yummmmmm. :) Thank you for sharing your recipe!! (Now to go make sure my husband is not stealing more than his fair share!)

There are many brands available, but all milled flax should taste the same if it is fresh - it should be rather sweet. Some people sprinkle it over ice cream and other desserts to increase omega-3 intake.

Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe! Besides adding nuts and fruit I followed the recipe exactly as written and the cookies were delicious =) The first thing I did was soak my dried fruit (two separate bowls) in hot water as I mixed and separated the batter. Took me about 20 minutes. For the first half of the separated batter I added white chocolate chips, dried cranberries and walnuts. The second half was milk chocolate chips, dried cherries and pecans. And on top of two cookies from each batch I patted crumbled bacon from breakfast! mm mm mm.

This is my second time making these cookies and both times the dough came out where it falls apart as I make the dough balls and place them on the cookie sheet. I'm not sure if it matters but I don't have a beater so I mixed everything by hand. Other than that I follow the recipe exactly is there anything I can do differently so this does not happen again.

I've never made them without a mixer, so that could make a slight difference, but they are a bit crumbly to start (smashing them together in the balls a bit helps). However, I've also just added more water in the past when mine needed to be a bit more gooey to mix well and stay together pre-baking. :)

Just curious if I want to add Fenugreek, but I have the whole seeds, should I pulverize them first so they blend into the dough? Also, how much should I add per batch? Thanks! Going to try them for the first time today!

I made these last night and obviously made the cookies way bigger than everyone else. I ended up with cookies probably 3-4 inches diameter. I'm a sucker for big, gooey cookies. I ate just one last night and woke engorged! I've NEVER been engorged, with this daughter or my oldest. I wish I had made these with my oldest daughter... I barely made it the year we nursed due to low pumping supply. Regardless, I did use dark chocolate morsels and 3x the cinnamon... I think I might substitute raisins next time. My favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin. Still, delicious and immediate results. :)

Love these cookies! Julie S - I got 2 bakers dozens (26). They're fairly large. I also wanted to share a pancake recipe I found this morning that might help with breakfast. I found a Banana Oat Pancake recipe at cookieandkate.com/2012/banana-oat-pancakes but I added 2/3C of finely chopped walnuts, 2T+2tsp of ground flax, and 2T+2tsp of brewers yeast and also substituted the lemon juice for vanilla. I remembered these cookies and thought these pancakes could be made with some of the same ingredients. I like to make them up, freeze them with parchment or wax paper in between each cake and pop them in the toaster for a quick breakfast. My LO is nearly 5 mo now and it can be hard to find time to eat a healthy breakfast. I know eating and staying hydrated in general is best for supply, but why not add these galactogues for good measure? Thanks!

I don't taste it, but I think the milled flax covers it up - makes things sweeter all around. :) Let us know if you try it - I wonder if you're naturally more sensitive to the taste? I guess I've never had other lactation cookies I liked besides these, so maybe that's what I didn't like as well... I never thought of it.